The Press., 1887-11-03
THE ROAD AGENTS.

days of the railroad, and it was 5 o'clock in the afternoon of an August day. We were on our way to Stockton, and of the passengers one was 8 lieutenant in the regular army another tourist in search of health, a third a ranchman, and the other two were prospectOrs and miners. None of us had met each other previous to the start. Those were perilous times, and the first half hour was spent in sizing each other up. I don't know to what conclu- sion the others came, but looked over the four men and said to myself:
 "The lieutenant ought to fight in case we are attacked, but he seems too nervous to be gamey. The tourist is ill and has no sand, but the ranchman and prospector can be depended on."
 At that time the coach which was not stopped twice out of five trips was con- sidered very lucky. In some few in- stances the robbers were driven off, but in most cases the passengers submitted to being ''held up," and were glad to get off with nothing worse. I had with me over determined not to part with that money without a fight. The ranchman had ?4, 900, and the miner about $3, 900, as afterwards learned, and both had deter mined to fight. We had just forded the Mcrced river, and had come to a lonely stretch of road, when the ranchman pulled his revolver and examined the caps. It was not yet restored to the holster when we heard shout, the report of pistol, and the stage came to a full stop. I reached for my pistol, as did the miner, knowing that robbers were at hand, but before mine was out the lieutenant flung his arms around me and cried out:
 "For Gods sake make no move or we H. l0o To%A 4o7~ III havcr'
 At the same time the tourist flung him. self upon the miner, and neither of us had ! weapon out when robber showed him. self at either door. The ranchman was ready, however, and he killed the man on his side. He would have also killed the other, but his revolver failed on the second shot, and the robber pushed his revolver in and fired with the muzzle pressed against the poor fellows heart. A third robber then came up, and we were covered from either door and called upon to sur render. The jig was up, and we climbed out, delivering our pistols butt foremost as we left the stage. There were four of us and only two robbers, but when man has the drop on you and means business it's no use to kick. We were placed in 8 row, and while one of the fellows kept us
 
 in turn The lieutenant shelled out 8 watch and $40, the tourist watch and $40O, and they got from the other two of us the sums I have previously named. I had my bank bills in my bootlegs, but as we were forced to strip to our shirts, they found every last dollar. While we were dressing the body of the ranchman was pulled from the coach and stripped and robbed, ~
 I have no doubt that the robbers meant to shoot every one of us after securing the plunder, in order to avenge the death of their comrade, but the unusually large heoty put them in good spirits, and they underwent a change of heart. The one who searched us stepped over the dead body dozen times without seeming to care whether it was log or man. When finally through with us he bent over the body and began robbi1g it, saying to his companions:
 ''Bi1 won't have any more use for money, and we might as well take his dollars along Poor Bill! We shan't never play poker together again"
 When they were ready to go they cut the harness so that the stage would be detained a couple of hours, broke up or carried off every 1rearm, and drank to our health from flask the tourist had with him. They made off for the foot hills to the east, having so little care for us that neither of them once looked back. 1 was mad and no mistake, and the m6ner gave utterance to his feelings in curses which almost cracked the stones around us. We had been robbed of our every dollar, and, with the money, our every prospect. The tourist could get more at Stockton, and the lieutenant was out only Q few dollars any way. was not yet dressed when he began to put on airs over us, claiming that if we had not been SC nasty he would have managed the affair to the defeat of the robbers. This added to my anger and I sailed in and pounded him until he yelled for mercy.
 It was just sunset when the stage was ready to go on, but there were two of us who did not propose to go that way. We were unarmed, but determined, and while the stage numbered off down the rough road we found club apiece and set oat on the trail of the robbers. Luckily fol us, the miner had been long in the coun try and seen a good deal of the hunters life. We therefore had no difficulty il following the trail until darkness came on. The fellows made directly for the foothills, and we had no doubt that they l had some sort of a cave or stronghold out | there. They took matters so coolly tha1 they could not have been great ways ahead of us when darkness fell. I wal then for resting until daylight, but tht miner urged that we should push on From the topography of the country ht felt certain that 0 ravine or rift would bl found not far away. We were then be | tween the foothills and the true mountain in narrow valley, and the full moon hat come up. Without this light we could not have made our way, as the ground was much broken and powders la1
 thickly scattered about.
 | We went ahead very cautiously up thiI
 valley for about 8 mile, and of a suddel 8 rift opened to the left, and the glare O
 a camp fire greeted our eyes. It was no
 over 200 feet away, and after a minut
 we made out the forms of the two mel
 as they seemed to be preparing supper | We had found them. but what of it ! They had all the arms and we were de
 fenseless. We crept back a few yards t.
 hold consultation, and the miner care
 fully studied the lay of the land. H.
 was of the opinion that 1t was short | dry rift, with cave at the far end. Tn | two sides were inclosed by walls of eartl
 and rock, and our only way was to aftacl
 the men from above. How high w would have to climb, or what the diffioul I ties, we could not say. We were not thre
 minutes deciding to make the attempt and we prepared for ib by leaving coats
 vests, hats and boots behind. We be gan the ascent about 100 feet back iron